Shovel



(No Model.)

' P. POULSON. SHOVEL.

No. 481,972. Patented Sept. 6 1892.

' NITED STATES PATENT FFICEF PETER POULSON, OF SOMERS, W'ISCONSIN.

SHOVEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 481,972, dated September 6, 1892.

Application filed July 14, 1 8 91.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that 1, PETER PoULsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Somers, in the county of Kenosha and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shovels; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Myinvention has relation to improvements in shovels, and the novelty will be fully understood from the following description and claims, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which' Figure l is a perspective view of my improved shovel with the upper portion of the handle broken away. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the handle, taken in the plane indicated by the line 00 5c of Fig. 1.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, A indicates the blade of my improved shovel, which is of the approximate form illustrated and comprises the flat bottom a, the outwardly flared and curved side walls I), which are narrow in width at the forward edge of the blade and increase in width or height toward the rear thereof, and the outwardly and upwardly curved rear wall 0, into which the side walls merge, as illustrated. By constructing or forming the blade as illustrated it will be seen that the outwardly and upwardly curved rear wall will be rendered very strong and rigid, whereby a strong connection of the handle to the blade may be effected, as will be presently described.

B indicates the handle of my improved shovel, which is of an oval contour in crosssection, as better illustrated in Fig. 3, and is provided at its lower end with an enlarged portion d, which is curved on its rear side, as better illustrated in Fig. 2, to conform to the inside of the outwardly and upwardly curved rear wall 0 of the blade. I

By having the handle of my improved shovel of an oval contour in cross-section it will be readily seen that the user is enabled to get a firm grasp upon the same and prevent it from turning in his hands, which is a great objection to handles of circular form or contour in cross-section.

fierial No- 399,666. (No model.)

0 indicates the reinforcing connecting-strap of my shovel, which is provided on its lower end with an obtuse angular branch 6, which When-the major portion of the strap is connected to the handle rests flat upon the flat portion of the blade, to which it is connected by a bolt or rivet f, as better illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The vertically-oblique and major portion of the strap 0 is connected to the front side of the handle by screws or bolts g, as better illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and the strap and enlarged portion of the handle are connected to the rear wall 0 of the blade by an oblique bolt m, which takes through the strap, handle, and rear wall of the blade and is headed at both ends, as illustrated. Taking through the vertically-oblique portion of the strap 0 adjacent the angular portion thereof and through the handle and the flat portion of the blade is a connecting bolt h, which is headed at both ends similar to the other connecting-bolt m. By this manner of connecting the strap, handle, and blade of the shovel it will be readily seen that a strong and durable connection is effected without heating the blade and destroying its original temper.

I am aware of the patent granted to one WV. P. T. Jope July 25, 1882, for a scoop, in which the blade is provided with a groove or corrugation in its upper face for the reception of a handle, a bar or strap is riveted to the bottom of the groove to form the under plate or handle, and an upper strap is provided with a rounded enlargement. I am also aware of the patent granted to H. M. WVhitney January 13, 1880, in which the handle is shaped to fit upon the face of the blade and bear against the rear vertical flange thereon and a cap having its under side grooved or fluted is secured over the tip or lower end of the handle and fastened to the blade, andI therefore do not claim such devices or constructions; but

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

The improved shovel herein described, consistin g, essentially, of the blade A, having the fiat bottom a, the outwardly-flaring curved side walls 1), narrow in width at the forward edge of the blade and increasing in width or height toward the rear end thereof, and the outwardly and upwardly curved rear wall 0, into which the side Walls merge, as shown, the handle B, of oval form in cross-section, having its lower end formed with an enlarged portion cl, curved upon its rear side to e0nform to the inside curvature of the rear wall 0 of the blade, the strap 0, having at its lower end the fiat portion 6 placed upon the flat part of the blade and secured thereto by bolts f and having its upper portion shaped to the handle and secured to the face thereof by bolts g, the oonneeting-boltm, taking through the upper portion of the strap 0, the handle, and the rear wall 0 of the blade, and the connecting-bolt h, taking through the strap 0, the I 5 handle, and the bottom a of the blade, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PETER POULSON.

lVitnesses:

MORTEN RASMUSSEN, ANDREAS MADsEN. 

